Posted on 06/22/2008 7:53:12 PM PDT by Coleus
A rare wildflower never before seen in the Garden State has been discovered in a forest in northwest New Jersey, state officials said Thursday. The fern-leaf scorpion-flower, or Phacelia bipinnatifida, was found on the forest floor and adjacent rock outcrops in the natural area at Whittingham Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County, a botanically rich location already home to 22 other endangered or threatened plants.
"The amazing discovery of this beautiful wildflower underscores the importance of the work we are doing to thoroughly inventory the natural treasures that exist within hundreds of thousands of state-owned lands," said Lisa Jackson, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. "Such detailed information will significantly enhance our ability to manage and protect these special lands and exceptional natural resources." After the first tiny, lavender-blue specimen was discovered by a park employee and officially identified, experts from the DEP's Natural Heritage Program documented a population of several thousand of the flowers in that location.
The fern-leaf scorpion-flower is a biennial plant, meaning it flowers every other year, typically from mid-April through May. While rare in New Jersey, the spring herb can be found throughout much of the eastern United States, typically in rocky wooded areas. Because this is the only documented location in New Jersey, the species now qualifies for the state's endangered list, a classification given to plants located in fewer than six locations statewide. There are already 339 plant species on that list.
Additional protective measures will probably not be needed to preserve the plant since it is located on a state wildlife preserve. Officials are, however, not revealing the specifics of the plants' location because they don't want "collectors" to pick its flowers, said Robert Cartica, administrator of the Office of Natural Lands Management.
.
Grow a Stinking Titan and you've got something.
I used to live just up the street from there, maybe 1/2 mile.
Botanical “hellos” from red-state New Jersey!
As a certain long-overdue-for-retirement senator would say, pretty, pretty, pretty
Triffids?
I'll have to find some and plant them in seven more places in NJ so they can go back to being a weed.
No, close though: Man eating plant form the original 1960 version of "Little Shop of Horrors".
While rare in New Jersey, the spring herb can be found throughout much of the eastern United States.
Yeah, I thought it looked familiar for here in CT.
today was a wonderful nature day for me...first thing I saw outside was a large deer in the front yard....then my eye caught a pair of cedar waxwings which I haven't seen for years....then the usual little birds....chickadees, gold finches...topped it all off by spotting a little fawn on the way back from town....
keep the nature photos coming....I love them...
These are nothing less than abundantly common in most of Northern Passaic, Sussex and Morris counties.
The listing of this species on the NJ State Endangered Species List is nothing less than a scam, though I’m not sure which tracts of land the state is trying to block from development.
“Feed me.” “Feed me NOW!”
ooooh, bad news for anyone who owns property near there!
Are you sure, exact same species? USDA.gov doesn’t show them anywhere in NJ or NY and only one county in PA.
"YEAH I'M BLOOMIN' IN YA YARD WATCHA GONNA DO 'BOUT IT HUH?"
They were in bloom in West Milford first week of June. 100% sure it is that species.
Lot of purple flowers in NJ, mustard family flowers, wild geranium, common violets, but that flower, the phacelia, has been alongside hiking trails up there for many years.
OK. I was pretty sure they grow in our cow pasture.
OK. I was pretty sure they grow in our cow pasture.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.